5 Easy, Yet Overlooked, Marketing Opportunities

As advisers, we worry a lot about our “out in the world” marketing endeavors in an effort to build our list and generate business. We consider numerous outbound efforts—place an ad, write a blog post, comment on LinkedIn, send a mailing, or host a seminar to name a few. Yet we often overlook the marketing channels that naturally exist in our brand experience. These are the channels that serve as an extension of each of us, where we have the fullest permission to share, yet most times, we do not have specific, achievable calls to action included.

Think about your practice. Identify all of the touch points you have with a prospect or a partner who chooses to interact with you. Are you driving an action in these communications? I have identified five of the easiest marketing opportunities you may be overlooking and how to make them work for you.

1. Email Signature Block

No, including the passive “Your referrals are always appreciated” does not count. I mean a clear call to action that a user can easily take, such as:

Link to a freemium: “Learn the 5 Financial Truths Women Must Embrace to Retire Wealthy”

Reason to connect on social media: “100 Tips in 100 Days: Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook to learn how to retire with grace and ease!”

2. Business Card

We all have them, so make them work for you. Give someone a reason to use it.

Select a lower-hurdle call to action such as “request our freemium” or “connect on LinkedIn to receive …” “Free Consultation” is not the call to action on your card.

Use a QR code linking to your home page, LinkedIn profile or freemium registration.

3.Voicemail Message or On Hold Recording

“Hi, I’m Sam Sample of Simple Financial Planning. I am unable to take your call … leave a message … I invite you to download our free ebook 10 Ways to Retire Like a King on our web site at www …”

4. Website

Yes, you want to believe that everyone who comes is ready for a consultation. Alas, most are just taking first steps. Include free information in exchange for a name and email address to leverage the traffic you receive.

5. On the phone:

At end of a phone call when a prospect is non-committal about setting an appointment, and you’ve tried all your approaches, offer up an easier action. Gain permission to email them your free checklist, your video training, or other information of value. (Let them know they will be on your email list). Train your assistant who answers calls from prospects who “want more information” to do the same.

As you can see, you can maximize the opportunities that already exist in your practice quite easily. On any given day you are interacting with a prospect who may engage with you down the line. Give them an easy way to say “yes” to your next step.

Johnny, I am not sure I understand your question, but essentially what I am saying, whether your firm is large or small, you can push out a more specific, lower hurdle call to action in each of your marketing channels. A business card is one example because so often it leaves the pressure on the receiver to have to call or email versus taking a less “committed” action.

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FPA/Journal of Financial Planning Practice Management Blog posts are general in nature and do not constitute the rendering of legal, accounting or other professional service advice. A blog post represents the opinion of its author only, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of FPA, the Journal of Financial Planning, the author’s employer, or the other authors who write content for this blog.